Ashley Massaro Philadelphia 76ers NBA Draft Predictions

Ashley Massaro Philadelphia sports fan gives the latest news about the Philadelphia Sixers and the upcoming NBA Draft.

The Philadelphia 76ers finished the 2016-2017 season with a record of 28-54. While their record was fourth worst in the NBA, the 76ers showed marked improvement over a season ago and appear to have good pieces in place for the future.  Ashley Massaro finds that the core of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Dario Saric are the players to build around, should they stay healthy, which is a big question considering the Simmons and Embiid have already suffered severe injuries.

Heading into the NBA Draft Lottery on May 16, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 11.9 percent chance at the number one pick and nearly 1 in 4 chance of obtaining a top two pick. Should they fail to land a top two pick, the 76ers can claim the third overall pick should the Lakers fall out of the top three. They could also swap with the Kings (currently with the eighth best chance at number one pick), should the Kings end up with the higher pick.

Ashley Massaro is looking beyond the lottery and ahead to the draft on June 22. Philadelphia has several attractive options. Projected by many to be the number one pick, Markelle Fultz, point guard from Washington, attended a 76ers game last month. In a single season, Fultz averaged 23 points, six rebounds and six assists per game. He connected on 41 percent from three-point range and also added 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

While Ashley Massaro believes being fortunate enough to land Fultz is unlikely, there are several other options at the point. De'Aaron Fox of Kentucky is projected in the top five and averaged a respectable 16.7 points, 4.6 assists and four rebounds per game. His assist total was tops in a very competitive SEC. Lonzo Ball of UCLA was excellent in his only season, averaging nearly 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds while connecting on 55 percent from the floor. Ball is also projected in the top five and could end up in Philadelphia.

Should the 76ers look more for a shooting guard or small forward, Josh Jackson of Kansas could be there for the taking. Jackson 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, while hitting 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.

An intriguing, but very unlikely selection for the 76ers could be Johnathan Isaac out of Florida State. He's an athletic power forward who would likely play small forward in the NBA at six feet, ten inches tall. Isaac averaged 12 points and eight rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 78 percent from the free throw line.  Considering the 76ers are roster heavy up front, selecting Isaac would be more than a surprise.

Ashley Massaro Philadelphia fan expects the 76ers to land either the third or fourth pick on May 16 and draft either Fox or Ball on NBA Draft night on June 22.